INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Almost 10 thousand children in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cancer this year, and the battle against childhood cancer doesn’t end when the treatment is over.

The effects from surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation can sometimes last a lifetime.

Gertie, Michelle, and Jaynalee—all diagnosed with cancer as kids.

“At first, you cry a lot, like a lot, like, a bucket full, like, two million gallons full,” said Jaynalee.

And all three are survivors.

“I think the challenge that we have is that, well over three quarters, or 75%, of all childhood cancer survivors will have a late effect or a problem that was caused by their cancer,” said Dr. Douglas Fair, MD, Pediatric Hematologist/Oncologist at the University of Utah Health/Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital.

The number one risk—cardiovascular disease and the risk of secondary cancers is higher.

“Certain chemotherapies will put you at risk for different leukemias,” Fair said. “Certain chemotherapies will put you at risk for other carcinomas or adult type cancers.”

A National Cancer Institute study also found an increased risk of breast cancer after treatment with high-dose chest radiation. The same with thyroid cancer after neck radiation and brain tumors after radiation treatment to the head. Fair is leading the survivorship clinic that is a new model of care that uses a team to create individualized lifelong care plans.

“On average, less than 25% of childhood cancer survivors were getting the necessary screening for those four, very serious, deadly conditions,” Fair said. “We have a lot to do here in better serving our childhood cancer survivors in this country.”

Fair’s team also creates a care plan for survivors. They create a document about the patient’s diagnosis, care, and then tailor the care based on the risk of what therapy they got.

This story was created from a script aired on WISH-TV. Health Spotlight is presented by Community Health Network.